The Blazers breezed by the NBA's hottest team Friday night, defeating the Utah Jazz 100-81 before 18,306 at Vivint Smart Home Arena.

With tenacious defense, contributions from a variety of players and dagger late-game shooting from CJ McCollum, the Blazers (33-26) recorded an impressive and inspiring victory in their first game after the All-Star break.

The Jazz (30-29), who had won an NBA-best 11 games in a row, suffered their first loss since Jan. 22.

TOP PERFORMERS

McCollum finished with a team-high 26 points on 11-of-21 shooting, Damian Lillard recorded 24 points and four rebounds and Jusuf Nurkic added 15 points and seven rebounds, but it was the Blazers' defense that cooled the NBA's hottest team.

The Blazers held the Jazz to 42 percent shooting from the field, including just 24 percent from three-point range, and gobbled up 11 steals, two shy of their season-high. After allowing 30 points in the first quarter, the Blazers surrendered just 17 in each of the final three periods, quieting an offense that had been unstoppable.

During their 11-game winning streak, the Jazz had been averaging 111.5 points, while shooting 48.3 percent from the field and 43.4 percent from three-point range.

IT WAS OVER WHEN

After the Jazz trimmed an 18-point Blazers' lead down to nine with less than three minutes remaining, McCollum lived up to his "crafty" reputation. The Blazers' starting shooting guard hit three consecutive midrange jumpers, icing the victory. He swished a shot in traffic, nailed a step-back 20-footer over Joe Ingles and then drained an 18-footer. The last bucket came with 1:38 left and pushed the Blazers' lead to 96-81, ending the threat.

THEY SAID IT

"I think it showed what our mentality is and where our focus is," Lillard said of the victory. "And that's coming in here and making this push so we can get back to the postseason."

HARASSING HARKLESS

The Blazers' superb defensive performance was spearheaded by Moe Harkless, who was active and aggressive from start to finish in what ended up being one of the more notable defensive efforts of his career.

The Blazers' starting small forward snatched four steals in the first quarter and finished with six, tying his career-high. Harkless, who added three rebounds and one block, also recorded six steals in 2013, when he played for the Orlando Magic.

"Moe Harkless had an outstanding game," Blazers coach Terry Stotts said. "He set the tone at the beginning of the game. He was very active defensively. Moe was outstanding."

Perhaps the only blemish on the night came in the fourth quarter, when Harkless endured cramping in his calves and was pulled. He underwent intravenous treatment after the game.

SHOOTING STREAKS

Lillard did not enjoy his most accurate long-range shooting night, but he still inched closer to Blazers history.

He went 2 of 7 from three-point range, making at least one three-pointer for the 41st consecutive game. It's tied for the second-longest streak in franchise history (Clifford Robinson matched it in 1995-96) and one shy of the all-time record, which Lillard owns. Lillard, who hit a three in 42 consecutive games last season, can tie his franchise mark Saturday night in Phoenix.

Lillard also crept closer to a franchise record for free throws. Lillard went 8 of 8 from the free throw line against the Jazz and has now made 54 in a row over the last seven games. The run equals the longest streak of his career and sits just three short of the franchise record. Damon Stoudamire made 57 in a row in in 2004-05.

NEXT UP

The Blazers continue a mini two-game trip with the second game of a back-to-back at the Phoenix Suns. It will be the fourth and final meeting between the teams this season and the Blazers, who won the first three matchups, are looking for a season-sweep.